Mexican Street Corn White Chicken Chili
🛒 Ingredients
For the chili base:
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 lb chicken breast or thighs
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (15 oz) white beans (drained)
- 2 cups corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1 can diced green chiles
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt & black pepper
Creamy finish:
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Juice of 1 lime
Toppings (street corn style):
- Cotija cheese or feta
- Fresh cilantro
- Chili powder or Tajín
- Lime wedges
- Optional: hot sauce or jalapeños
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Sauté aromatics
- Heat oil in a large pot.
- Cook onion until soft, then add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
2. Cook the chicken
- Add chicken, broth, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer 15–20 minutes until chicken is cooked and tender.
- Remove chicken, shred it, then return it to the pot.
3. Add beans & corn
- Stir in white beans, green chiles, and corn.
- Simmer 10–15 minutes so flavors blend.
4. Make it creamy
- Lower heat. Stir in cream cheese until melted.
- Add sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and mix until smooth.
- Finish with fresh lime juice.
5. Serve
- Ladle into bowls and load up with toppings: cotija, cilantro, chili powder, lime.
🔥 Tips for best flavor
- Char the corn in a skillet first for deeper street corn flavor
- Add a splash of hot sauce or chipotle for smokiness
- Don’t boil after adding dairy—keep it gentle to avoid curdling
- Let it sit 10–15 minutes before serving; it thickens beautifully
🌽 Flavor inspiration
This dish pulls heavily from the flavors of Mexican street corn, especially the lime, chili, cheese, and creamy finish.
